Mamata ropes in actors for girl child programme

Ahead of the Oct 1 launch of a state-wide programme to empower the girl child, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday flagged off a video campaign starring leading Bengali celebrities.

Banerjee roped in regional film industry's top actor Prosenjit and eight leading ladies - including Srabanti, Payel Sarkar and Subhoshree - for the 45-second audio-visual posted on her official Facebook page in the run-up to the launch of 'Kanyashree Prakalpa' programme.

It shows the actresses preventing a minor girl - in a bride's attire - from getting married and encouraging her to study.

Stressing importance of education for upliftment of women, the video focuses on an illustration of a woman holding aloft a book with the words 'study and smile'.

Under the Kanyashree programme, girl students from the age of 13 to 18 (ranging from Class 8 to Class 12) will be provided Rs.500 annually whereas unmarried women above 18 years will get a one-time sum of Rs.25,000.